838 ON THK POSITION OF EUPETES MACROCERCUS. [NoV. 15, 



peniis Mesifes, and suggested that that hird might be in reahty 

 closely allied to the last-named one, and not at all congeneric with 

 the other species usually included in the genus Eiipetes. 



Our knowledge of the internal structure of Mesites is due to M. 

 Alphonse Milne-Edwards, who, in the "Annales des Sciences Natu- 

 relles'" has described its osteology, with some remarks on the 

 muscles and other points. From its osteology, as well as from the 

 presence of two carotid arteries, and of the ambiens and accessory 

 femoro-caudal muscles, the non-passerine nature of Mesites is ren- 

 dered absolutely certain. M. Milne-Edwards associates it with the 

 Rails. From the presence of powder-down patches ^ combined with 

 the scliizorhinal nature of the skull, I should prefer to locate it 

 near Evri/pyga and Rhinochetus in my group Pluviales^. 



It is to be regretted that M. Milne-Edwards has not in any way 

 touched u])on the pterylosis of Mesites ; and as yet I have been 

 unable to obtain any skin of that form to supplement this deficiency. 

 From a skin of Eupetes macrocercus I have, however, been able "to 

 ascertain a sufficient number of points to show that, unlike Mesites, 

 this form is certainly Passerine. 



I'he pterylosis is quite Passerine, there being a nude oil-gland, 

 twelve rectrices, and nineteen remiges, of which ten are primaries. 

 Of these last the tenth (or so-called " first ") is half as long as the 

 ninth. The saddle of the dorsal tract is covered by very long 

 feathers, some being as much as 3 inches in length. The aftershaft 

 is apparently quite absent, as is the case in some other Passeres 

 (e. g. Artamus and Eurylcemus) according to Nitzsch. There are 

 no traces of any powder-down patches. 



In the leg there is no plantar vinculum, as in all the Eleuthero- 

 dactylous Passeres'', and as in them only, if we except Upupa and 

 certain Ardeidte. 



The arrangement of the terminal tendon of the tensor patagii 

 Irevis is also Passerine, as described by Garrod^, with the slight 

 difference that, as in Menura and Atrichia '^, the recurrent tendon 

 is more or less intimately blended with that of the extensor metacarpi 

 subjacent to it. 



The skull, extracted from the skin, is also typically Passerine, with 

 the characteristically truncated vomer of those birds. The maxillo- 

 palatines are long and thin, and recurved apically ; the transpalatines 

 well developed. Like all other known Old-World Vasseves, Eupetes 

 is holorhinal. 



The exact place in the Passerine series of Enpetes has yet to be 

 determined ; judging, however, from the bilaminate tarsal planta, it 

 is a truly Oscine form, and therefore very j)robiil)ly to be included in 

 the " Timeliidae." 



' 6^ serie, Zool. t. vii. art. no. (S, pL vii. 



s First discovered by Mr. E. Bartiett, vide P. Z. S. 1877, p. 299. 



» Antca, p. 639. 



* P.Z. S. 1880, p. 391. 



* ' Scientific Papers,' pp. 356, 357. 

 " L. c. p. 358, pi. xxiv. fig. 2. 



